An anti acne drug, called isotretinoin, and marketed under brand names such as Accutane, Decutan, Clarus and so on, is known to be associated with several side effects.

anti acne drugAmong the many warning labels that the drug comes with, is the warning that women taking the drug and then falling pregnant could have a baby with birth defects. An even more troubling side effect of the acne treatment drug is its relationship with suicide risk.

This situation is further complicated by recent research that suggests that acne itself may increase suicide risk – severe acne sufferers are themselves more likely than non-sufferers to contemplate suicide.

This condition could be exacerbated by the effects of the drug; however it suggested that the drug can also have the opposite effect of reducing suicide risk.

It has been suggested that depression and suicide risk can reduce if the treatment for acne has been successful and one’s social life has improved. However the worrying fact is that if the treatment has not been successful and acne is not eradicated as expected by the treatment, then a person may become even more depressed and/or suicidal than before! So it is suggested that the acne rather than the acne drug may, after all be responsible for suicide risk.